What is it?

The National Broadband Plan is the FCC’s attempt to achieve broadband growth in America for economic growth, job creation, global competitiveness (the USA ranks way down amongst other countries in broadband adoption), and a better way of life.  It is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Approximately 100 million Americans do not have broadband at home. Broadband is essential to advancements in health care, education, smart grid, first responders, and homeland security.

 

How did the FCC come up with the plan?

The FCC started the process of creating this plan with a notice of inquiry way back in April 2009.  They held public workshops, which helped frame the ideas contained within the plan.  These ideas were then put into public notices, which were open for comment of which numerous associations (including ones NCC belongs to like NTCA, NECA, etc.) replied to.  The FCC also collaborated with other government agencies and Congress, to come up with this extensive plan. 

 

When will it go into effect?

The actual rule making has not been made.  These records/comments will guide the path forward for FCC, Congress and the Executive Branch to consider when implementing the plan’s recommendations.  The public will continue to have opportunities to provide further input.

 

What are the details of the plan?

The Executive Summary of the plan, which is only a couple of pages long, can be found by going to: http://www.broadband.gov/plan/executive-summary/#executive-summary

 

The full plan can be downloaded by going to:

http://www.broadband.gov/download-plan/

What do rural telcos think of the plan?

The main argument on the Broadband plan is that it boasts that it will bring 100M actual download speeds to at least 100 million Americans by the year 2020, but just 4M actual download speeds to people in rural areas and other regions that are economically challenging to serve.  They intend to create a Connect America Fund (CAF) which will shift up to $15.5 billion over the next decade (to begin as early as 2012) from our existing USF program to support broadband.  Universal Service says that we should all have the same opportunities and the National Broadband Plan will only create a urban/rural digital divide.  The Broadband Plan also places a heavy bias towards mobile broadband.

 

What would happen if the federal government decided that city roads, bridges, and infrastructure should be better-constructed and more efficient that the roads in rural America?  What about if policy makers determined that urban consumers should be able to get where they are going and get what they need faster than rural consumers?  A new government plan intends to make that true of our nation’s information superhighway – the Internet.  And while it’s not the highway we drive on, rural consumers should still be very concerned.

 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has crafted a plan to make broadband Internet access universally available.  Reliable, high speed broadband has become the essential service of today, like electricity and telephone service were decades ago.  Broadband can improve the lives os all consumers but access is especially important for those of us living in rural America.  The Internet enables farmers to monitor weather patterns and ranchers to buy and sell livestock in markets from home.  It also gives small businesses the opportunity to reach customers nationwide, offers local students the chance to take classes online, and allows doctors to remotely diagnose patients and even offer remote emergency care.

 

The many benefits of broadband are clear, and we applaud the government’s efforts to make affordable, reliable Internet connections a reality for all Americans.  But the FCC’s plan will make rural Americans second class citizens in the new broadband world, because it establishes a speed goal for rural areas that is twenty-five times slower than for urban areas.  Shouldn’t rural communities have access to the same broadband services as our larger towns and cities?

 

Years ago, Congress established a universal service policy for telephone service.  It required that those living in rural areas have access to communications services at prices that are affordable and reasonably comparable to those available in urban areas.  Rather than support this same universal service philosophy for broadband, the FCC’s plan offers faster, better service to some Americans while guaranteeing lesser service to others.

 

Don’t let the FCC keep our rural community on the slow side of the broadband digital divide.  Contact your congressional representatives and urge them to support regulatory action that ensures equal access to broadband for all Americans.  If you’d like to learn more about this issue, contact your local communications provider.

 

Watch the video Quality, High-Speed Broadband for All Americans